Sister
by Maxy Steel
Summary: When Rachel's little sister arrives for a visit, she really shows how important keeping in touch with family can be.


_General disclaimer: Max Steel belongs to many companies, Kids' WB!, two different computer animation companies, and a whole mess-o corporate executives. This story is my personal work derived from my inner child getting hold of an uzi and obliterating my good side._

  


**SISTER**

**BY:**

**Maxy Steel**

  


It started out as an fairly ordinary day, the beginning of one of the toughest challenges Team Steel would have to face. Max and Rachel were on their way out on yet another mission when the latter's cell phone rang. She pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Leeds," she greeted, still walking. Five minutes later, Max shot her a look as they got into the car, and she was still talking. More like listening. They were a good half an hour into the drive before she clicked off and put the object back onto her belt.

"What was that about?" Max asked evenly, his eyes on the road.

"My sister," Rachel replied. Max threw a glance over at her.

"Sister? I didn't know you had a sister," he said, his tone hinting for her to go on.

"You never asked. Andrea is my younger sister. She was calling to say she was coming for a visit," Rachel replied. Max shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ask Mairot to give you a light work load 'til she leaves," he suggested.

"I don't have to be careful about her finding out about N-tek. She already knows. That'll make things easier, but it's bad as well," the blond explained.

"How's it bad?" Max asked curiously, obviously asking about besides the obvious.

"She was always a bit cold towards me after I found out I had been accepted here. But then, it's been over five years since I saw her, she's probably changed," Rachel mused.

"How old is she?" Max asked, more for a conversation piece than anything else. Rachel thought for a moment, silently counting.

"I'd say she would be about your age, give or take a few months," she replied finally. The mission site came into view, and they fell silent.

*****

Several hours later, the pair was heading back after successfully completing their assigned task. Both sported a few bruises, but nothing serious.

"So, when is your sister getting here?" Max asked, picking up their earlier conversation.

"Three days. She asked me to pick her up at the airport," Rachel replied.

"Mind if I tag along?" Max asked, a hopeful note in his voice. The blond rolled her eyes.

"You can come, if you finish your training drills," Rachel told him. Max grinned slightly.

"You sound like my mother," he joked half-heartedly.

Back at N-tek, Rachel arranged to be more of a, as Max put it, "desk jockey," rather than field agent during the month-long period Andrea would be visiting, so as to have a little more time to spend with a sister she hadn't seen in years. Both Max and Berto noted her slightly more relaxed attitude, and took every opportunity to tease her about it, in the tradition of the tightly woven team.

"Were you and her close?" Max asked casually while the three agents were in the TSO room.

"Not very. Being separated by seven years, we went though the same interests, but at different times. I left about when we were starting to be at the same point, but I'm hoping we can pick up from there," Rachel replied.

"Sisters can be a pain. I was the oldest of four kids, and the only boy. Tina was four years younger than me, and she was the second born. I know what you mean," Berto interjected.

"Both of you had at least a sister. I was an only kid," Max reminded them.

"I'd say you were lucky. You didn't have to compete with others for your parents' attentions," Rachel told him. Max frowned a little.

"Yeah, but even then, I didn't even have a chance to grow up with mine," he added, a little bitterly. All three fell silent, Berto and Rachel realizing that they had forgotten how delicate one had to be on the subject of families. Max didn't seem overly upset or angry, but it was hard to tell with him occasionally.

*****

Three days later, Andrea's flight was coming in. Max and Rachel left with plenty of time in case of traffic, and got there a little early.

"Which flight is hers?" Max asked as they walked through the terminal.

"Flight 2304, arriving from Australia," Rachel replied. They found a computer showing arrivals and departures, and then moved off towards the gate.

The pair stood near the gate, watching the plane land. Ten minutes later, passengers came pouring out of the entrance, rushing to loved ones, looking for baggage claim. Near the end, a pretty girl with blond hair hanging past her shoulders wearing a white T-shirt and light blue jeans walked through. She paused at the doors, tipping the bill of her plain red cap up. She scanned the crowd, gave a small cry of excitement, shouldered her bag, and ran up to Max and Rachel.

"Rachel!" she cried, coming up to them. Max noted the surprising lack of accent in her voice.

"Andrea, you've changed," Rachel replied. The sisters hugged, Andrea's bag dropping to the floor. She picked it up and turned to Max.

"Who's this? Your boyfriend?" the young woman asked, a little slyly. Both Max and Rachel reddened slightly.

"This is Max Steel. He's my partner," Rachel explained hastily. Andrea grinned, almost chillingly. She held out her hand to Max.

"You can call me Andi," she told Max in a sweet tone. The dark haired teenager awkwardly shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you," he returned shortly. Andi giggled and turned to her sister.

"He's cute," she grinned, then turned back to Max. "You're single, right?"

"Well, um...uh..." Max stuttered, glancing to Rachel for help. Rachel put a hand on Andi's shoulder.

"You just arrived. Give both of you some time to adjust," Rachel scolded lightly. Andi just grinned widely.

"I hear you. Come on, the carousel should be on by now," she replied. The trio turned to head for baggage claim.

"Oh, thank you, Max. I know that suitcase must _sooo_ heavy," Andi gushed while Max caught her luggage as it came around the slowly moving conveyer belt.

"It's nothing I can't handle," Max assured, setting the last of a five piece set down. He then left to get a luggage cart, leaving the two women alone. Andi turned to Rachel.

"Okay, spill. You and Max are more than just 'partners.' I can tell," she told her sister.

"Really, we are partners, only that," Rachel replied. Andi looked her in the eye, and grinned like a person who knows.

"You kissed him, didn't you?" she asked calmly. Rachel looked startled, and a little flustered. She looked down at the linoleum.

"Well...hmm..." she stuttered. Andi giggled a little and clapped her sister on the back.

"I can tell. You _did_ kiss him!" she announced brightly. Rachel coughed, trying to cover her embarrassment. Max came back then, with the cart.

"Hey," he greeted. He noticed Rachel's slightly flushed face, and frowned. "Rach, you okay? You look kind of sick," he observed. His partner fished frantically for a response.

"I-I'm fine. The airport is a bit warm," she replied hastily. Max shrugged and grabbed one of the suitcases. Andi turned to Rachel, a not very sisterly smile on her face.

"It won't be that hard to win him over," she smirked. She looked her sister up and down. "You're not much to compete with," the younger sister finished casually. Max dropped the last bag on the cart, and they headed for his car. Andi joked and laughed the whole way, and Max joined in. Rachel walked in silence, wondering what her sister was up to. Max caught a glance at her expression, and frowned.

"Rachel, are you all right?" he asked, again. Andi caught his arm.

"Oh, Rachel's fine, aren't ya, sis? Come on, I really want to hear about what happened in Baja," she said. Max looked to Rachel for confirmation, got it, and kept talking.

*****

Two days later, Andi seemed to have won over Max, but it was like she had pushed Rachel away. It didn't seem to bother either girl, though.

"Max," Rachel said, coming into the TSO room, empty besides her partner and her sister, "Come on, we have fire-arm drills," she reminded him. Max nodded, finished up what he had been saying to Andi, and got up to follow Rachel. Andi stood as well.

"You think I could come?" she asked sweetly. Rachel nodded, and the three of them headed for the training grounds.

Max adjusted his ear plugs, raised his weapon, aimed, and fired. A hole appeared in the target, an inch or three to the side of the bulls-eye. Andi clapped enthusiastically.

"Wow! That was such a great shot!" she exclaimed. Rachel came over.

"If you set your stance a little farther, and held your arm a bit closer, you'd hit the target," Rachel told him. Andi frowned at her.

"Oh, come on, Rachel. It wasn't _that_ far off. Let's see how well _you're_ aim is," she challenged. Rachel shrugged, took her fire-arm, aimed at the target, and fired. The bullet hit dead center in the middle of the target zone. 

"How about you?" Rachel asked, a little bit smugly. Andi grinned, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Her bullet dug Rachel's in farther. Max looked impressed.

"Nice shots," he said approvingly.

"Why, thank you," Andi giggled, lowering her weapon. It went off suddenly, nearly catching Rachel in the side. Everyone turned to look at the smoky black hole in the wooden pillar next to her. Andi gasped in horror.

"Oh my god! Rachel, I'm so sorry! The hammer must have..." Andi wailed. Rachel was just getting her breathing back to normal.

"It's all right, Andrea. It was just an accident," she assured. Max frowned slightly. Rachel was a few shades paler than usual, that was expected, but Andi, who should have been the same, was normal colored. He had to wonder why.

*****

Over the next week, it became obvious to most that Andi was competing with Rachel, and that the prize was Max, even if the opposing party wasn't willingly participating, and the said prize didn't realize what was going on. Anything that Rachel did, Andi did, better if she could possibly help it, as long as Max was around. 

"I'm telling you, she's treating Rachel like they're in a competition," Berto said to Max at one point after yet another "incident," involving Andi _accidentally_ forgetting to spot her sister while she was weight lifting. Amazingly, Rachel hadn't been seriously injured. Max hesitantly nodded his agreement.

"Maybe, but then, accidents happen. Besides, sisters get competitive, you've said so yourself," the older teenager half-heartedly argued. His partner looked unconvinced.

"I think it might be because Andi likes you," Berto replied observantly. Max shook his head, not thinking it could be possible.

"I don't see why she'd be competitive about it. She's only going to be here another three weeks, that's not exactly enough time to get into a relationship any further than friendship with her," he said casually.

"Which explains why every time she has a gun, it just 'happens' to go off, in Rachel's direction," Berto argued.

"Bro, what are you saying? That Andi is trying to kill Rachel? That's impossible, why would she want to attack her own sister?" Max replied confidently. 

"How? It makes some sense. _Hermano_, she thinks you and Rachel are a couple. She wants her and you to be a couple. In her mind, competing with Rachel might be the answer," Berto theorized reasonably. Max sighed in partial defeat.

"You've been paying more attention than I have. So, what should we do?" he asked.

"Keep an eye on her. If she puts Rachel in serious danger, then we worry. After all, I could just be imagining things," Berto replied. Max nodded, and left.

Rachel and Andi were in the sparring room when Max found them. Andi smiled her greeting, and latched onto his hand, batting her deep green eyes.

"Hi. You wanna go a few rounds?" she asked sweetly. Max agreed, and they took spots at opposite points on the mat. They started, launching kicks and punches. Andi stuck her tongue out when Max dodged one of her more powerful kicks, before he sent her to the mat. She got up, looking ready for another round. Five minutes later, she hit the mat again. She landed on it again about five minutes later. Rachel watched her, then stepped forward. Andi obligingly scooted back, allowing the two agents to start their own sparring session. She watched, looking a little irritated, as Rachel was the one landing most of the blows. She jumped up as Rachel spun and struck Max across the chest, knocking him down.

"How about you and I?" she asked, her eyes flashing an angry signal. Rachel shrugged and took a stance. Max backed up, moving out of range of both girl's fast-stepping feet. Against each other, they seemed fairly evenly matched kick for kick, punch for punch. Andi managed to fire off a punch that caught Rachel slightly off balance. She flashed a smile at Max, then slammed a hard kick, catching her sister in the stomach. Rachel staggered back several feet and fell. The younger sister moved as if to attack again, but paused as Max intervened, inadvertently placing himself between her and Rachel. He didn't notice the dark glare briefly shadowing Andi's gaze as he pulled his partner into a sitting position.

"Hey," he grinned at Rachel. Andi's eyes flashed red, and she turned for the door. Rachel took a few deep breaths until her breathing returned to normal. She and Max locked eyes for a second, then she got up.

"Where did Andrea go?" she asked, still slightly winded. In the few moments Max had been helping Rachel, Andi had left.

"Uh, she's probably just a little embarrassed," he suggested. Rachel sighed and nodded.

*****

After that, Andi seemed to become even more competitive with Rachel. She challenged her to anything, from swimming to shooting. If Max was there, she would add a little extra glamour to her performance. Besides that, Rachel only seemed to have mysterious accidents around her sister. Berto said it firmly, and Max had to agree, Andi was becoming more dangerous, and it was worrying them.

"I didn't think girls could be this determined to break up a couple," Max said to Berto. Under normal circumstances, the younger teen would have made a comment about Max's words, but this was serious.

"I know it's only another two weeks before she leaves, but it might be a good idea to cut her visit short, before she seriously injures Rachel," Berto mused.

"Are you talking about Andrea?" a familiar voice asked. Max and Berto looked up to see Rachel standing near the door. She walked up to the teens, giving them a scolding look.

"Uh..." Max stuttered. Rachel sighed in irritation.

"I don't see why you two think she could be dangerous. Andrea is a bit clumsy, and she doesn't know her own strength, but I'd hardly call her dangerous. Very much like _you_," Rachel told them, poking Max in the chest.

"Which would explain why she keeps attacking you while putting up an innocent front," Max muttered under his breath, thinking his female partner didn't notice. However, Rachel heard him and glared at the younger agent, then turned to the door.

"We've got fire-arm training," she stated calmly before leaving. Max and Berto waited a minute after she left, then Max got up.

In what had become the norm, Max started the training drill with the first shot. It hit a few inches below the target.

"Great job, Max!" Andi gushed enthusiastically, smiling brightly. Max only felt even more uncomfortable. This was _really _getting to him. Rachel being mad at him was bad enough, but with the main reason standing there cheering him on, he was unnerved.

"If the barrel was up a bit higher, it would have hit the target," Rachel informed him, a little sharply. Andi frowned at her sister.

"Do you always have to be so specific?" she asked, a little tightly. Rachel ignored her and took aim at the target. A hole was ripped in the center of the target. The older agent turned her back on the two. Out of the corner of his eye, Max saw Andi take aim...at Rachel! He hastily "accidentally" bumped into her. She fired all the same. The bullet caught the edge of Rachel's skirt, tearing the fabric. All three gasped. Rachel looked at the hole in the edge of her skirt.

"You should be more careful, Max," she scolded, then left to change, while Andi turned to Max. She wore a fairly disturbingly sweet expression.

"That was dangerous. You could've badly hurt her," she told him, a smile forming on her lips. Max bit his lip to keep from accusing her of trying to shoot Rachel. He turned for the door.

Berto frowned as Max finished telling him about the weapons training. Both were especially "freaked" by the smile. As Max put it, she had seemed happy to have nearly shot Rachel, and then have him take the blame.

"I'll try to find a way to get her sent back early. In the meantime, maybe you should try to keep the two of them apart," he suggested. Max sighed and leaned back.

"That's impossible. Those two are always around each other," he replied. Berto was typing at a smaller computer. Max leaned forward to see.

"What's that?" he questioned, not recognizing the logo in the corner of the webpage.

"I'm getting on-line with the airline. We can reschedule Andrea's flight for a few days from now," Berto explained. Max nodded thoughtfully.

"How do we get her to go?" he asked after a moment.

"That's your territory. She likes you, so you talk her into it,_ herman_o," Berto replied with a slight grin. Max rolled his eyes.

"Oh, sure. Give me the hard part," Max said, giving his friend and partner a fake glare. Berto tapped the keys, clicked the mouse, and shut off the program.

"There," he stated with finality. The two of them left. Neither noticed a figure hiding in the room, a figure who hurried to the computer as soon as the boys left.

"Trying to get rid of me, huh? Let's see what they're up to..." she muttered, sitting at the computer Berto had been working on. She frowned when it asked for a password, and punched the table. She heard the door open, and sprang away from the console. Rachel walked in.

"Have you seen Berto or Max?" she asked in greeting.

"I was looking for them too," Andi shrugged, then left the room. 

She ran into Berto not too far from the control room, in a hallway, holding a print-out of some kind. She grinned brightly and walked up to him.

"Hi, Berto," she drawled innocently. The teenager seemed to be ignoring her. Andi frowned and tapped his shoulder. He jumped slightly, and turned around.

"Oh, hi," he greeted before turning back to what he had been working on. Andi burrowed her brow, as if contemplating something. She glanced around for other agents, then grabbed the younger teen by the shoulders, pinning him against the wall, pounding the side of his head violently against the cement as well.

"Andrea?!" he gasped. She grinned maliciously, pressing his shoulders against the wall.

"You've been getting in my way," the young woman growled. In one quick movement, she grabbed his wrists, and shoved him over to the closet. She opened it, and threw him inside, then stepped inside. The light went on as the door shut with a flick of Andi's hand. The younger teenager turned around, still sitting on the cement where he'd landed.

"Are you crazy?!" he demanded, rubbing his shoulder. The young woman stepped over to him. Berto looked up. He could see her eyes clearly, but not a single trace of any emotion besides pure hate. He was definitely scared.

"I heard you and Max talking. Pity, I liked him," she sneered.

"Does Rachel know about your little bouts of insanity?" Berto asked, only a little sarcastically. A fist swung to connect with his left cheek. He gasped as something cold, hard, and metal dug into the right side of his head. In the dim light, he could see the glint of a pistol in her hand.

"You don't want to upset me. I can be very impulsive, and I really don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to," she warned. Berto swallowed hard, his entire body tensed. Andi smiled as his fear, and cocked the hammer.

"I could just kill you now, you know. But, after the trouble you've put me through, I think I'll take care of the rest of your little team first," she said, cruelly jovial. A sharp kick caught the Spanish teen in the ribcage. He doubled over painfully, hands over the injury site.

"Aw, poor Berto. I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked, in that innocent tone she had used after each time she had attacked Rachel.

"Why are you doing this?" the boy gasped. Andi growled angrily and trained her weapon back on her victim's head.

"Revenge. I've always had to be second place in the family. Second to Rachel's achievements. It really is sad, for your little team, that is. I had been planning to just break Max and Rachel up, maybe take Max for myself, just to spite her, but no, you and Max had to think I was dangerous. I hadn't planned on seriously hurting or killing anyone, least of all my sister, but now, I have no choice," she explained.

"I don't see why," Berto responded, one hand on his stomach where she'd kicked him. Andrea's eye flashed, and her fist shot out, catching him hard across the right side of his jaw, followed by a knee to the chest. He was back on the floor, groaning slightly. She knelt down before him, and kept the gun pointed at his chest.

"Don't be dumb," she snapped icily. "If I don't kill you and Max, you two would tell. Rachel is smart, I hate to admit, so if I take out you two but not her, she would eventually figure it out," she told him, standing.

"The rest of N-tek will find out," Berto assured firmly.

"Confident, aren't you? What do you think I've been doing all this time? I know what parts of this building are rarely checked, where the best places to hide, say, a body, are, and how to get it there without being seen," Andrea smirked. Berto paled a little, still holding his jaw. The girl's foot shot out suddenly, catching him in stomach again. She knelt down, placing one hand under his chin and forcing him to look her in the eye.

"I'll be back later," she promised. She grinned, set her gun down, out of her victim's reach, and grabbed either side of his head. She looked him in the eye, their faces millimeters apart, and forced her lips on his. In response, Berto struggled wildly. Andrea let go of him with one hand, then reached back and grabbed her pistol. She finally pulled away from the younger teen, who drew a deep breath, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The gun swung up, smashing into Berto's temple even harder than Andrea's fist, as she used both arms. He hit the floor hard. Andi looked at her hand. Both the gun barrel and her hand were coated with spatters of red. She looked down at the unconscious agent. A trickle of red fluid ran from his split lip and the cut inside his mouth.

"Well, you should be out for a while," Andi said with satisfaction. She replaced her pistol in it's holster, and stepped to the door. She cracked it open, and peered out. No one around. She left the room, carefully locking it, and hurried down the hallway.

Andi left N-tek, and took her car to a remote cabin an hour away she had rented in the woods. She looked around, nodding in satisfaction. The main room was bare and fairly large, with only a few sparse furnishings.

"Mom and Dad will regret ever ignoring me. But then, by the time they find out, I'll have vanished. It'll be easy to get rid of Rachel. Berto is a total weakling. Max is the only one I have to worry about. He's too curious. I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up with Rachel," she mused. She picked up the phone, and dialed.

"Leeds," Rachel's voice greeted. Andi adjusted to her best perky voice.

"Hi, sis! Hey, I know we kinda got off to a rocky start. I'd feel much better if we could talk out our differences before I leave," she bubbled, wondering if she sounded too perky.

"I agree. Where would you like to meet?" Rachel replied.

"At this cabin I rented. I want to talk without risk of anyone interrupting, like, you know, Max or Berto. It's been so long since we had a nice, long, talk," she said cheerily. She gave Rachel directions to the cabin.

"All right, it should take me about an hour to get there. I'll leave as soon as I inform someone here," Rachel assured.

"Good luck. I was trying to find Berto before I left, but he's gone," Andi replied, grinning slightly.

"And Max went home to study. Well, Berto must be around here somewhere. If anything, I can give Max a call," Rachel mused, then clicked off. She checked all the places Berto usually was, asked some people, but no one knew where he was. Unknowingly, she walked right by the closet he had been left in. After what seemed like a pointless search, she took out her phone, and dialed.

"Hi?" a teenaged male voice greeted.

"Hello, Max. Did you see Berto before you left?" Rachel asked in reply. She heard the teen mutter to himself, and a few papers shuffle.

"I talked to him before I left. In the control room. I don't know where he is now," Josh offered, wondering why she was calling. She knew he had a big test, one which required a fair amount of studying.

"Well, all right then. In case there's an emergency, I'll be at my sister's cabin," Rachel explained. It didn't register to the young man what she had really said, as he was deeply engrossed in the English textbook on the table before him. He spoke mechanically.

"I'll remember that," the boy promised. "Bye." Rachel put the cell phone back into her pocket, and left.

The blonde agent sped along the highway in her own car, wondering what the problem would have been with having a talk in the conference room. She glanced at the directions again. They were somewhat vague, but then, she hadn't lived in Del Oro years for nothing. She recognized the general area, but the exact spot would be harder to find.

*****

Almost an hour later, Rachel parked, deciding that she had found the right place. It seemed like the spot Andrea had described. Out far in the woods, cut off from human life, completely. It seemed odd, as she'd thought of her sister as liking to be around people. She walked up and knocked on the door. Andi opened the door, and greeted her sister with a smile.

"Hi, glad you're here," she grinned, hugging her sister lightly. She gestured to the living room. "Have a seat. I'll go get something to drink," she offered. Rachel looked around, then took a chair next to the window. 

Back at N-tek, Berto groaned, waking up. He tried to swallow, and found he had a mouthful of half-gelled blood. With a garbled noise of disgust, he spat a few times, and sat up then leaned back, a pounding headache gripping him. He rubbed a sleeve across his mouth, trying to wipe off the touch of Andrea's lips. He looked at his arm, noticing the red smears. He touched a sore spot inside his mouth with his tongue, and felt raw, ripped skin. He lightly put a finger on his lip, and pulled it back. It was bloody. She had hit him hard, and he'd been out for who knows how long. The floor had a dark, smudged puddle where his head had been, along with what he'd spat out. If it had been up to him, the teenager would have preferred to have a while longer to recover more of his senses, but Rachel and Max were in severe danger. He shakily pulled himself to his feet, then dropped onto a crate, a wave of dizziness crashing into his mind. After a few minutes, he got up again, and half-walked, half-stumbled to the door. He twisted the handle, and sighed. Andi had jammed the lock. From the inside. He fumbled around for the light. Andrea had made one mistake: leaving him in a room full of tools. A box screw-drivers was right next to him. The teen took one, and set to work, fumbling with the lock.

*****

Josh sighed, scribbling a note on a piece of notebook paper. The words blurred together, he couldn't concentrate. Having Rachel's pushy sister around was enough, having a big exam along with it, besides worrying about Rachel's safety being alone with Andi, was too much. The exam wasn't for another week, but he'd have to cram a little harder if he wanted to not only pass, but do well on it. Given his marks, he needed the good score. Not that it was his fault. Between missions and training, his school work had suffered, intensely.

The lock spring released with a satisfying "boing". Berto leaned his forehead against the door, trying to clear his mind. He pushed open the door. Fortunately, the TSO room wasn't far. He fell into the rolling chair at the console. 

"Max, Max, you there?" he said into the speaker. After a moment, the teenager's voice came over the line.

"This had better be important. You know I have to study," Josh grumbled a little irritably.

"Depends on how important Rachel's well-being is to you, _hermano_," Berto replied, wiping his sleeve against the now dried blood on his cheek.

"Where were you, bro? Rachel was looking for you earlier," the teenager asked, getting up off the chair he'd been sitting on.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we've got more serious matters. Where is Rachel?" Berto responded quickly, glancing down at his uniform. It was fairly well splattered as well.

"She left about...almost two hours ago. Something about Andi wanting to talk with her," Josh shrugged. 

"I'll find her signal and send _Hawk_. She's in danger," Berto told his partner.

"For now, I'll take your word on this," Josh sighed, transforming. _So much for the books,_ he thought, shutting the textbook and dropping it on his bed. 

Hawk was shooting for Rachel's signal when Max brought up the conversation again.

"Why do you think Rachel's in trouble?" the teenager asked evenly.

"Andi's got a few screws loose. She locked me in a closet before talking to Rachel," Berto explained, momentarily leaving out the details.

"Okay, she is a little crazy, but how can talking to Rachel be dangerous?" Max questioned, losing his concern.

"_Hermano,_ she has some idea that she'll be happy if she kills you, me, and Rachel. She's already beaten me up. And did I mention she has a gun?" Berto told him simply. Max's concern level rose, and soared. He pushed Hawk to go faster.

"Are you going to be okay?" Max asked after a moment, ashamed he hadn't asked immediately. Berto involuntarily touched the still slightly bleeding cut in his lip, realizing suddenly that he had a growing bruise covering his right cheek.

"Yeah. Just a split lip and a bruise," he assured. Max sighed in relief, and pushed the jet to go faster still.

*****

Andrea set down her empty cup, smiling a little. Rachel had actually believed all the sap she had said, and thought they were on good terms with each other. The older of the two sisters checked her watch, and stood.

"It was nice to clear that up, but it's been a few hours. I should get back," she stated. Andi shook her head, reaching to her back.

"I don't think so," she uttered with grave seriousness, pulling her pistol from it's holster and aiming it at the older woman's head. Rachel gasped and stepped back.

Max checked the tracer grid installed in Hawk. The blip that indicated Rachel's location hadn't moved.

"Bro, this is insane," Max sighed, looking out the window again.

"What?" Berto replied.

"That Rachel's sister is this nuts," Max explained.

"Well, if one's as sensible as Rachel, the other has to be as crazy as Andrea," Berto reasoned, grinning slightly. Max chuckled a little, in spite of himself.

"E.T.A., two minutes," he announced, looking at the screen and putting the jet in stealth.

Rachel backed closer to the window, hands up. Andi snorted when she caught her glancing out the clear glass.

"Don't bother. I'd shoot you before you could even break the glass. Besides," she intoned calmly, keeping her aim steady, "it's steep 50-foot drop from that window. You'd die before you hit the bottom," she added knowingly.

"I guess I know less about you than I thought," Rachel replied quietly through clenched teeth. Andi giggled a little, that innocent, cutesy laugh. 

"You're right. All that stuff I said, about Mom and Dad and I being real close, it was all fake. Our folks don't even notice me. I come, I go, nothing. It's always about _you_. '_Rachel_ this...' 'Rachel _that..._' They're _soo_ proud to have a daughter who is a part of an anti-terrorist organization, that the other kid's achievements are pale in comparison," she growled, her voice becoming icier and icier with each word.

"You could have talked to me. You could have come and visited before now," Rachel told her sincerely. Andi laughed, a short, cold chortle.

"_Talked _to you? Hah! It wasn't that I was jealous, well, at first, maybe a little. No, it was how my hard work was _ignored_. I was accepted to Harvard. Did Mom and Dad bat an eye? No! I tried my hardest to win their approval, but they didn't notice. It's all your fault," Andi's voice cracked as she spoke, but her aim remained firm, her hand not even shaking. The older sister wondered if she was making this part up as well.

"I couldn't have done anything to change their judgement," Rachel snapped icily. Andi smiled coldly, gesturing a little with the gun, frowning a bit.

"Don't get snippy with me. That's what your friend Berto did. I get impulsive when I get mad," she cautioned in a quiet voice. Rachel paled slightly.

"What are you saying? What did you do to Berto?" she demanded. Andi grinned and tilted her weapon. Light from the lamp near her pointed out the unmistakable dark stains of blood on the silvery handle of the gun.

"You didn't..." Rachel breathed, not wanting to believe it. _It couldn't have been his,_ she told herself repeatedly in her mind. Yet Andi's smile said otherwise.

"I did. Yes, this is from him. It was kind of fun. He's so confident in your group. Defiant little boy, Berto. It was cute, but it got annoying," she smirked, souncing casual.

"You couldn't be my sister," Rachel replied firmly.

"Do we have to get a DNA test? I'm your sister. It's hard for me to believe it too," Andi shrugged, rolling her eyes and gesturing with her free hand.

"You don't think you could get away with this," said the older sister confidently, feeling sick. How many times had Max and Berto warned her? At least three.

"I've got everything worked out. After I take care of you, then Max, I'll disappear. Mom and Dad paid so little attention, they'll never be able to find me. I'll change my hair, maybe to black, and I'll get a new name," Andi informed her sister, tossing her collection of blonde curls behind her shoulder.

"Leave Max out of this. He doesn't have to get involved. Berto didn't, either," Rachel voiced quickly. Her sister shook her head slowly, a deadly smile on her face.

"Berto convinced Max that I was dangerous. They tried to convince you, I'm assuming," the young woman replied.

"And I didn't listen," Rachel sighed. It was her fault. The boys did tell her, but she thought her charming sister was only a little clumsy. Andi leaned forward, an almost cheerful smile on her face.

"That was a mistake on your part. But I can't leave Max alone. He had just as much a part in this as Berto. He's the only one I'd be worried about. His natural curiosity and ingenuity are too much of a threat. He'd be able to find me," Andi explained. She leveled the gun.

"Andrea, you don't want to do this," Rachel pleaded.

When the cabin came into view, Max slowed down until the jet was soundless.

"So, what's the plan?" Berto asked over the bio-link.

"I find a window, look around, and get Rachel out of there," Max replied with a shrug. He was only a few feet from the window when a gun went off.

"Rachel!" Max gasped in panic. The jet edged to the window. Rachel was backed up against the wall, eyes round with fear. Max breathed a sigh of relief.

"Stealth mode," he stated, punching a button on his wrist hardware. Instantly, he was invisible as well. He opened _Hawk's_ lid, and balanced on the jet's nose.

"What are you doing?" Berto demanded.

"Saving my partner," Max told him, then dove for the window. Glass shattered, a girl screamed, and he rolled once before jumping up.

"What the--" Andi gasped. Max hit the stealth mode button again.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked, keeping himself between the two sisters.

"Max?! What are you doing here?" Rachel snapped.

"Berto said you might need some help," Max replied, keeping his eyes on Andrea. She kept the gun trained on his chest.

"Berto's alive?" Rachel asked, amazed. Max nodded slightly. Andi sighed loudly, in an irritated tone, as if her plans had been ruined.

"I hadn't been planning on killing you until the end, after I got rid of your other partners," she complained. Her trigger finger tightened. "But, oh, well."

"Is there some reason why you're bent on this?" Max asked. His partner's sister sighed defensively.

"This wasn't original plan. I'd been planning to just break you and my sister up, maybe steal you for myself. All our lives, I've always gotten second place. After meeting you, I thought it might be nice to have the boyfriend Rachel had staked claim on. With my looks and everything, I'd thought I could easily break you two up, but the bond you two share is deeper than I expected. Then you and Berto were trying to ship me out before I could think of something new, and this just kind of came to mind," Andi explained with a nonchalant shrug. She prepared to open fire on the two agents.

"Going turbo!" Max shouted. He glowed, and grabbed Rachel. They dove behind the couch.

"Bro, we need back up!" the young man shouted over the rapid gunfire. Rachel turned to Max, silently thanking him for coming.

"If we get out of this, alive, remind me to thank you," she joked weakly.

"If we get out of this, you owe me. This cutting into my study time," Max replied, trying to sound irritated. A bullet got through the couch, passing right between the two.

"I think we need a new shield," Rachel observed. Max nodded, and grabbed her hand. They bolted for the kitchen.

"Now we're talking," Max grinned, slamming the door, a bullet tore through the wood, right near the handle.

"Nice job. Now she doesn't have to bother cornering us," Rachel quipped dryly. Max frowned at her.

"Don't start. We can argue later," he scolded, heading for the pots and pans. Andi kicked the door, and fired at it. Max picked up two large frying pans.

"Now is not the time to be showing off your cooking skills, Max," Rachel snapped. The teen in question handed her one.

"I can't cook," he shrugged. He grabbed Rachel and pulled her behind the table, then turned it over. The door flew open, and Andi stepped in.

"Oh, very cute," she giggled, then fired at the table. Max poked his head over the top of the table.

"Can't we talk this out?" he called.

"No," Andi replied simply, then fired at him. Max held up the pan, watching the bullets bounce off it, leaving dents. 

"Berto, is someone on the way?" Max gasped, ducking back down.

"Nez, Belgrade, and a few others left not too long ago. They'll be there soon," Berto promised.

"We can't hold out much longer," Max hissed in reply. A bullet blasted through the wooden table, embedding itself in Max's left wrist, or more specifically, his bio-link.

"Max!" Berto shouted, alarmed, when the screen blacked out. Max pulled his arm to his chest, until the device started to spark, then held it away from his body.

"We're in trouble," the boy observed. Rachel nodded, then glanced through the hole the bullet had made. 

"She's moving away from the door," the blond announced in a quiet whisper. Max checked for himself, then grinned.

"When I say go, run for the door," he ordered. He looked around for something to throw. The shelve of glass bottles above them was shot down. Rachel and Max covered their heads against the shower of wood and glass. A thick bottle fell, didn't break, and rolled to a stop right in front of Max. He picked it up.

"I'd have thought that Max at least would have brought a gun or something," Andrea called tauntingly. Max looked over. She was reloading.

"I don't like to shoot people," Max yelled back, then threw the bottle. It struck Andi's hand, and the gun fell to the ground and bounced away.

"Run!" Max shouted immediately, shoving Rachel with him. They were up and heading for the door instantly. They smashed into the kitchen door, and headed for the front door. It wouldn't open. Max rammed it with his shoulder.

"_Hawk_!" Rachel suggested. The pair hadn't taken two steps before Andi, with her gun, appeared in the doorway.

"Nice try. One more step, and I'll shoot. Don't think I won't," she growled. The front door flew open, while sounds of glass windows breaking emitted from the other rooms. Nez and Belgrade were at the front. 

"Are you two all right?" Jake asked. Both agents nodded. Andi turned as if to escape out a back room, and found herself looking down the sights of four more guns. She grinned, almost insanely.

"I should have known. You agents never go anywhere without reinforcements, do you?" she asked, turning back to face Max and Rachel.

"Drop your weapon," Nez stated calmly. Andi held up her gun, still smiling strangely.

"This weapon?" she asked innocently, then brought it back down, took semi-aim, and fired, at Rachel. The room froze. Max grabbed his partner around the waist, and flung her to the side, inadvertently placing himself in the path of the metal projectile. A dark hole appeared in his uniform, in the back of his right shoulder. With a loud groan, he dropped to one knee, grasping the wound.

"Max!" Rachel cried, scrambling to her feet. Andi was aiming for her. Nez fired, blasting the hand gun out of the blonde's grip. It clattered to the floor, the barrel bent and useless. An agent behind Andrea grabbed her wrists. Rachel knelt down beside Max.

"Hey, Green-eyes. You okay?" the hurt boy asked first. 

"I'm fine. What about you?" Rachel assured. Max smiled slightly and winced.

"I'll be fine. Just my shoulder," he tried to sound like normal, and failed miserably. His voice squeaked in and out of normal mode randomly. Nez knelt beside them.

"You're pretty hurt. Come on, you have to get back to base," he stated. Max got up, and looked at his hand. It was completely covered and dripping with dark red. 

*****

Three hours later, the team was back at N-tek. Max was in the TSO room, a bandage covering his shoulder, bulging from under his fresh uniform, talking to Berto.

"Yevshenko said it got a couple nerves, but I'll be back to action in a few days," Max was explaining. Berto nodded as best he could, holding an ice pack to his jaw, which had swollen noticeably. He said something, but between the pack and his injury, it came out unintelligible. Max just grinned. Rachel walked in, looking apologetic.

"Hey, Rachel," Max greeted good-naturedly. Rachel stood by the console Max was leaning against.

"I wanted to say thank you, Max, for coming to help me. And to apologize for not listening to both of you in the first place," she uttered. Max shrugged, and winced.

"Hey, we both know how hard it must have been to hear us saying that about your sister," Max replied. Berto nodded his agreement.

"I should have spent more time with her when we were younger. This wouldn't have happened if I had," Rachel sighed after a moment.

"We'll never know. But hey, don't start beating yourself up over this. Everything turned out pretty well. Berto and I will be fine, and you weren't seriously hurt," Max said, trying to lift her spirits. It didn't seem to help that much.

"Except with Andrea," Rachel intoned. Max shrugged, then winced, one hand reflexively moving to his shoulder. He pushed away from the console.

"I have to get back to the books. Being shot as Steel, unfortunately, doesn't excuse me from school exams as McGrath," he said, then headed for the door.

"I'll walk you out to your car," Rachel offered. Max shot her a grin.

"Sure," he replied.

Out in the parking lot, Rachel stopped Max before he got in the car.

"Max, I've been meaning to ask you, without anyone around. Why?" she asked. Max cocked an eyebrow.

"Why what?" he asked, in the clueless way of most guys with short-term memories.

"Why you pushed me out of the way it the cabin. And don't say 'because you're my partner,'" she replied firmly. Max looked her in the eye.

"It was my shoulder, or your head. Not exactly a question worth giving long-term thought," he said evenly, then got in the car. Rachel nodded, and stepped back.

"I see what you mean," she murmured quietly after his car was out of sight. She turned and headed back for the building.

  


_ Okay, okay, the ending was a bit cheesy. Actually, very cheesy, come to think of it. But then, I'm not very good at starting, or ending my stories. It's so hard to choose when to cease-fire! Any questions, comments, flames, whatever, send 'em to me! I love ya all who read this! For anyone who's wondering, this is a stand alone. There is no sequel what...so...ever! _

-Maxy Steel


End file.
